Styling and Photography by Chavi Feldman

Sometimes, healthy habits are an uphill battle. Other times, they’re a walk in the park.

Studies have suggested that in the wintertime biological changes stimulate hunger. We tend to crave heavier, warmer, denser foods, like chunky stew or steaming pasta. With the weather cold and damp, we have to get creative to implement an exercise routine. Drinking takes a nosedive, too, because water doesn’t hold the same appeal when we’re cold. There’s only so much tea a woman can drink!

Think summer, though, and the scene changes. Hot, sunny weather increases our tendency toward eating light, refreshing foods with higher water content. Salads, fruits, and smoothies are the order of the day. Thanks to the tug of warmth and sun, we are out and about, on the move, exercising and sweating without having to search out an indoor elliptical or treadmill. Yay for vitamin D — as much as supplements do the trick, there’s nothing like the real thing, so soak it in (through a layer of sunscreen) while you can!

Drinking lots of water is the natural result of all that heat and movement. And another great habit that gets a boost in the summer: sleep! Longer days with more sunshine help set our circadian rhythm in balance. Many moms can also get to bed earlier and wake up later, thanks to homework-free nights and a later day-camp start.

Summer is the time of year when healthy habits just click into place. It’s the time that’s ripe for implementing and cementing health-promoting attitudes and routines. But there is a pitfall.

The Quick Conundrum

If there’s one motto that all of us share in the summer, it’s get me out of this kitchen.

Being in the food business, I can tell you that in the summer baking essentials don’t move off the shelves too fast. People don’t want to cook and bake when they can be in the park or at the pool. In the summer, it’s all about quick and easy.

The problem is that quick and easy doesn’t always pair well with healthy.

The stereotypical quick and easy dinner is macaroni and cheese from the box. Or frozen pizza. But those quick meal solutions sabotage our natural health-centered summertime tendencies.

That’s why, to me, barbecuing is summer’s best friend.

While barbecuing is notoriously synonymous with hot dogs doused in sugary store-bought sauce, it doesn’t have to be that way. When the food on your grill is wholesome proteins and fresh vegetables, you can turn out meals that satisfy the summer need for quick and help cement your healthy habits at the same time.